Ethyria the Beautiful
by S1leNt RIP
Summary: What if the Locust aren't what they seem to be? What if they've been around longer than anyone ever imagined? Would the humans of Sera have come into contact with them before? Prologue is up and I'll post chapter one soon
1. Prologue

Ethyria the Beautiful

It was still under the canopy of trees that made up the forest of Terrashire. The fog hung low, almost a foreboding of great evil, for it seemed a man could fall into it and be sucked away forever. The stars overhead were so close that night that if one could see them he might reach out as if to grasp one to give to his lady. But it was not so. A thousand years had past since the last Star came to look upon the affairs of men.

The stillness was broken only by a slight tread upon the leaves. A figure ran through the forest, not overly hasty, but with great urgency nonetheless. If any had been in the forest that night, they would have known the steps of a hunter, for the hunter cannot afford to let his prey hear of his coming. But the stag was not his prey this night.

As he ran he thought over the events that led to this most dangerous quest.

* * * *

It had started like most nights since the first battle. A stop at the Thunderhead to wet his throat after a long days hunt. Then to carry the kill home to dress and smoke it.

He had entered to the warm greeting of Osgood the Black.

"Ah (as yet unnamed character) You have come to join us," Osgood had been smoking his pipe in the back corner of the tavern. He sat up as (as yet unnamed character) entered. "Come Boss Rael, a drink for our young friend."

Rael was the owner of the Thunderhead tavern, and hard put was a man to find a better, or cleaner, place to drink his ale and swap the stories of past conquests. Of lady's loved, of foul creatures destroyed and the great battles that one would fight in those days of old.

Now it was said that there was never a man greater with a sword than Rael. He had been a knight in the service of Grand Marshal Raylon. It was said that he had won the land and money required to build the tavern for his great deeds of bravery and skill. But Rael was a humble man, older than most, and not given to boasting. The young men would ask if this story was true, or if that battle had happened that way. He always smiled and told them to ask the others, who always held up the tales however tall or exaggerated.

If Rael was master of the sword, Osgood was master of the dagger. He kept four on his person at all times, two in his belt and two on his back, those being more kin to short swords than daggers. But he kept up the appearance, for it was well to be known as a master of some weapon.

Osgood was a rouge who traveled the country side. He drifted from town to town, shire to shire, swapping stories and telling the news of the countryside. Few knew how he made his money, nor did many care to know, for a mans business was his own. Some had speculated that he was an assassin, it was likely enough, for men had to make their own way. But long had it been since anyone had need of an assassin, for the enemy of man was a straightforward one.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It had been ten months since the northern mountain country of Cathena was last heard from. A sheep herder had been the first to see the ruins and smoke of the Castle-city of Denforth, for which it was known.

King Talis the Wise dispatched Reiksmarshal Braylor, son of Raylon, with a great army of footmen and horse to find the cause of the destruction.  
They returned with the news that not a man, woman or child had escaped. Not a body was seen, living or dead. Cities were broken down, villages were burned, and the castles had all but disappeared. Some of the great castles had been built into the caves of the mountains itself, but the walls of these seemed to be broken from the inside out. The soldiers, all stout men indeed, were not quick enough shut of the place. For upon entering through the silver gate that led to Cathena all felt a great presence of evil. Horses shied and men slowed their pace as they marched past city after city, all torn completely asunder. They returned with heavy hearts to their own homes. The men of Pervalice began preparations for a war all felt would come. Though none knew when.

The land was alive with gossip about who could have done such a thing. Were the Stars angry with the men of the north. Or was there an unknown country that lay across the north sea.

The answer was worse than any imagined.

A month later smoke was seen rising from the plains of Savinace, the kingdom to the east, and close allies with Pervalice.

Talis immediately sent a portion of the army to aid them. There were fifteen thousand spearmen, two thousand archers, five thousand heavy infantry and five thousand heavy cavalry, a thousand light cavalry, and a skirmish force of about a thousand troops. Twenty-nine thousand troops in all.

The sun shined down brightly upon the shining white armor of the warriors of Pervalice as they marched toward the sounds of battle. They came over a rise in the land only to be greeted be the sounds of dying me and horses, as well as the sight of the routed troops of Savinace fleeing toward them, and the black army that pursued.

Braylor halted the army and set his spearmen in front, making a protective wall through which they let the men of Savinace pass. The unknown horde kept up the charge till they smashed into the line of spears. There was great confusion as the spearmen pushed back wave after wave of troops. The enemy threw themselves upon the soldiers in front eventually braking the line in several spots. Immediately the heavy guard pushed up to close the ranks of spearmen while the cavalry made a charge on the flanks. The unknown soldiers, battered and broken, retreated and made ready to attack again.

Only after that first attack did the men see their foes. Hideous pale creatures that looked like men, but had horrible ugly faces and large, grotesque teeth, most of which were bloody. They wielded giant, ugly swords made of a rough metal. Some of the larger ones carried huge double bladed battle axes, as well as maces, flails and heavy war hammers.

The creatures made ready their weapons to attack.

"Stand firm men!" Braylor shouted, "Let these foul creatures taste the valor, duty and cold steel of our great land Pervalice!"

The men let out a tremendous war cry as the horde charged again. The archers let fly their missiles. Arrows flew over the line of spearmen in a darkening cloud. So many of the creatures fell with that first volley, that the others tripped and fell over their fallen comrades as they charged into the line of spears. The impetus of the charge was so broken that any troops that made it to the spear wall were easily dispatched.

"My, but they are like a horde of locusts," Braylor commented to a general mounted next to him.

"They do seem as numerous."

"Yes they do, we must keep the men's spirits high," he commanded, "prepare the cavalry."

"Yes sir!" replied a sergeant at arms as he rode to make ready the horsemen.

"Archers!" the Reiksmarshal shouted, "even after the charge you must continue to fire all your arrows into the horde. But when you see the horsemen charge you are to cease fire at once."

"Spearmen," he turned, "press forward after the charge is broken, the heavy infantry will cover the flanks. At the sound of the trumpet all are to retreat immediately, it is possible they may try to draw us in."

They waited as the horde gathered once more.

"The horsemen are ready my lord."

"Good," He smiled grimly "I shall take my place at their head."

Even though the opposing army was much greater than the relief force of Pervalice, their weapons and armor were of much less quality and strength than those of the Reiksmarshal's hand picked force.

The plains of Savinace had no land formations or mountains or even a forest to break the monotony. They were good for farming and not much else. But today there was something that had not been there, and that the Reiksmarshal only now noticed.

"Do you see that giant hole in the ground some ways off behind the enemy?" He asked the General seated next to him.

"I have been studying it for the past few minutes, sir."

"Do you think we might push them into it?"

"It might be done sir."

"Alert the men," He ordered "The spearmen shall push straight for the hole while the cavalry keep the enemy in a straight line as best we can."

"Sir!"

The sergeant turned and rode off at once.

"Make ready" came the cry almost as soon as the new plan of battle was given.

The horde had gathered all the shields of Savinace they could find, for they regularly fought without shield or armor, and now ran at the line with them held high above their heads, the yellow cross of Savinace blazing brightly in the sun.

The volley of arrows killed many but did not break the charge the way it had done the last time.

The spearmen were beginning to waver when the Heavy cavalry crashed in from both flanks.  
The two companies met in the middle and passed straight on their way to the other side.

As the horse rode off down the lines, the spearmen in the middle charged, for the attack had been broken and the creatures retreated yet again. As the horse neared the opposite sides of the line they allowed the spearmen to join the charge as they passed by.

The creatures did not stop but kept running, getting caught in the line of troops behind. The spearmen crashed into this tangled mess with a thundering sound. Soon the entire force was routing.

The men let forth a great cry and pressed forward.

"Stop," the Reiksmarshal ordered to no avail, "do not get caught in a trap."

The ground started to rumble beneath their feet where the cavalry had drawn up behind the army.

"Move!" he shouted as an earthquake shattered the ground under them. He set spurs to his horse and was galloping away from where the center appeared to be.

A hole was starting to open up. It was about three-hundred feet in diameter and went so deep that the men could not see the bottom.

"I see something!" a man shouted from across the hole.

"I too!" Shouted another.

The Reiksmarshal peered into the hole.

"Call the retreat!" he shouted suddenly, "they come from the ground itself."

It was too late.

The creatures who had been fleeing now turned and attacked with redoubled efforts, while out from the hole came a wave of arrows, killing many of the men and horses on the army side of the holes mouth. The creatures pressed up that side of the hole and had now reached the top.

The men now heading the call of the horn, turned to see more enemies coming from behind them.

They made a desperate struggle to reach the horsemen who were fighting through the multitude that had sprung out of this new opening.

Then the rumble of an earthquake came from both sides of the fleeing army.

Two new holes came up on both flanks of the army. Men started to run without care to who or what was around them.

Just as the army came to the second hole they broke and ran. Some went right, some went left, but most dropped their weapons and fled with all haste to escape. Most of these were cut down before they got past the hole.

Only the heavy infantry and heavy cavalry held ranks and continued to fight steadily back toward their own country. The Reiksmarshal led them past the hole and into the plain where they finally set off at a good pace.

The men could hear the creatures shouting as they striped the armor and weapons from their fallen comrades.

After that first battle the men of Pervalice were never again taken by such surprise.


End file.
